Anger

Did someone accuse you falsely or someone you loved? A year and a half ago someone accused my grandson of causing destruction and then insinuated that I lied when I said that he did not do it. Everytime I see this person, I see red! Its not that I dwell on it, as it is not in my mind until I see him.

Last night I went to a meeting and our accuser was also there. As I sat in the meeting I realized that this anger that I had was poisoning me. There was a hard ball where my heart should be and I did not think I could make myself look kindly. I tried to dismiss it, but could not make it go away.

When the meeting was over, a kindly neighbor lady came and talked to me, and the bitterness in me dissolved to a great degree, and then others joined us. When I left I was able to be remotely kind to the person that falsely accused us. This is where prayer and forgiveness is going to have to take over. What kind of relationship do we have with our God when we can't see beyond our own anger?

We are told in Colossians 3:8

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Is it possible to keep ourselves holy? Our God has great confidence that we are able to do so and instructs us to do so in Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

May we all find love for one another. God help us all.

Warmer weather ahead

According to the weather forecast, by tomorrow we will begin to have our highs above freezing. Earlier in the week, it predicted Friday's temp at 32 degrees and now it is predicting a high of 41 with a high mostly in the 30s for the next 10 days! We can all sure use some warm weather.

I saw an interview on tv the other day, where a reporter was interviewing a boy of about 8-10 years old. She commented on his red ears and he said he couldn't even feel them. I couldn't believe that no one immediately put something over his ears!!!

When I was a young kid, I remember one particular winter that we had a blizzard. It was very cold and I don't know if this was that same "cold snap" where the temperatures dropped about 30 degrees within minutes and our cats that weren't in shelter froze in their tracks.

On this day, the sheep had disappeared during the blizzard and Uncle Pete had gone to find them. When he didn't come back, my Dad took the pickup and went to look for him. Dad went down the road and was going up the road on the other side of the field when the pickup stalled. He walked back to the house, which was about 1/2 mile. His ears froze on the way to the house. He was in such pain that day. One of his ears was enormously swollen. Later when I heard the term "cauliflower ear", I recognized it to be his condition. Eventually, he lost all hearing in that ear. He had wore a cap with flaps, but that was not enough.

Uncle came back. The sheep had drifted down the bottom of the valley, where the creek ran, and into the neighbors.

Whether you got little ears, like a kid, or are an adult, frigid weather will freeze all that is not protected. I pray that the Lord comes back soon and makes the world right so that there will be no hurting or freezing cold child.

As kids, we walked the 1/2 mile to school. I remember on so many occasions having frostbitten hands with white blotches on them and how they stung when they were warmed up. Bundle up your children - winter has no mercy. God be with us.

Planning for Spring Planting

Lots of good news in the mail....the seed and bulb catalogs are out!! Kathleen wants a BIG garden next year, so it is going to be fun to start planning for one. We also have a great opportunity to plan for trees and some flower beds. One of the ads that came said we don't have to pay til everything is delivered---now isn't that an invitation to go all out!!!

When my Mom and Dad got married, back in 1949, they, too, had stars in their eyes! My Mom LOVED big gardens. She came over from Norway and stayed with my Great Uncle Pete.

Uncle Pete had a homestead, that was totally irrigated land--it was a beautiful piece of land. He had a herd of horses in the far off pasture, on adjoining land. They were used for plowing, hauling hay and all the farming chores. (At what year they went from horses to farm implements...I don't know. I do remember that first tractor though. It was a CASE tractor with iron wheels and it was big!)

His home place had the familiar western building--a tar paper house. It had brown bricks as a decorative print on it. It was nice, warm, and friendly. He had a wood stove for cooking and used kerosene lanterns for light. The front porch, which was as big as the kitchen-dining room, had an oil burning stove, although I don't know at what point that was put in. There was also a root cellar that went under the house, with its entry right outside the kitchen window. Out the front door and perhaps half a football field away, was a big building that was used for storing grain. And, a short distance after that was the chicken coop, barn, pig pen and hay storage, all built in an L shape, with corrals on the inside of the "L". It was a place that, as kids, my brothers, sisters and I loved to explore!



Mom and Dad lived with Unce Pete the first year of their marriage, and Mom grew a garden that was huge! The following year they moved to their own place up the road a bit.






I've picked out pictures that show some of the vegetables from the garden Mom, Dad and Uncle Pete put in.




Also, here are baby pictures on the horse, dog and by the pickup-truck.



You will notice in some of the pictures Dad and Unce are in suits, or, dress pants, shirt and tie, and Mom in a pretty dress. These special clothes were reserved for church, church and sunday school programs, school programs, meetings, going-to-town, and company. They had respect for others and they took care of their family.

The adventures of a new life are fun! Make the most of them, take care of your family and have reverence for God. Life is good.